Mail-marking machine.



F. O. IELFIELD.

HAIL IABIING MACHINE.

nmonxol rm nza. u. mx.

1,038,587. Patentd Sept 17,1912.

l IBSETI-BREET l.

A'rTnRNcY.:

F.OIELFIBLD.

HAIL IRIINO KAOHINE.

AIPLIOANOI NLSD DN. l0. 10H.

1,038,587. Patented Sept. 17,1912.

l IBESTIIHEBT 2. H3A

flaw-M1 INvcNTnR vwfucsscs:

Kqhghwb/ LE:

Maha, l mfg ATTDRNCY:

UMTED STATES: OFFICE.

raso o. mLrInm, or "srLvnn' cnnx., Nnw" 11r'o'isf.fr`:`,l{Alienazion' 1 'ro coLUmnrA vros'rAL sUrrLY COMPANY, or srLvnn. cnmrrmw Yonx, A conroBA'rroN or NEW Yoan.

inn-minne assioma.'

' Bpeolaoatten et Letters htent.

Patented Septrl'?, 1912.

Application Med December 8, 191,1. Serial No. 887,848.

To all whom. it may concern lie it known that I Fuso OfInLrmn, a citizen of the United Statesy residing at Silver Creek, in the county ofl Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Mail-Markn Machines, of w iich the following is a'specification.

This invention relates to that class ofL I marking machines for canceling letters and' other mail matter in which the printing' wheel remains at rest when vno letter isin position to be marked, stamped or canceled iut which is released and "causedl'to rotate for bringing its printing dies'or types'into engagement with a letter. when one iis in' the proper position toreceive an im res-y aion of the rinting wheel. One o the chief diiculties heretofore experienced in inail markin machines of this character has been the ten ency of the printing wheel to smear the letters upon engaging the same instead of leaving a clear -and'elean im ression of the datin stamp cancelin ines thereon. This is' uevto the'fact t at the initial speed `of the printing wheel when starting to turn from a condition of rest would not equal the speed of the forwardly moving letter, althou h the last. part oftherotary movement o the printing wheel would be the same as the linealmovement of the letter. Furthermore, the stop. devices heretofore employed for arresting the rotar movement o the printing w e eaei canceling operation were not positive and certain in their action which fretLuently resulted in the -printing wheel ma ing. a number of unnecessary or idle turns and thus cause an undue amount of ink to be applied to the printing dies which would produce an imperfect or blurred impression on the letters or other mail matter.

It is the object of this invention to rovide a mail marking machine of this c aracter in which the printing wheel will start from a state of rest at ful at the saine rate as the letter which is bein canceled or marked and which will be positively arrested in its rotary movement after each canceling operation so as to avoid the oboctions above referred to.'-

n the accom anyin drawings consistin of two sheets: igure is atop plan view o a mail marking machine embodying my im provcinents and showing the par s inthe el afterl speed and movel I enga position which the occupy when no letter mini-position to e mar ted or canceled. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of one of the letter feeding wheels, the separating'roller, the impression roller, the printing wheel and adiacent'parts in a position w ich they occupylwhen a letter is being marked or cance ed. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section showing .the train of caring for operating the various arts of t ie mail markin machine related o my improvements. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken -in line l1--4, Fi 1, but showing thejprinting wheel and adjacent parts in thepcsition corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa detached top plan view of the printing wheel and adpicent arts. Fig. (l is a si e elevation thereof. ig. 7 is a etaclied top plan-view of the shifting arm and associatedparts whereby the rinting wheel is unlocked and started in its rotar movement. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of tie same.

Similar'characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Abovethe frame or base 1 of the machine which may be of any suitable construction isiarranged a horizontal table having a feed end "or-l supply portion 2 which is adapted to hold' a sup ly of letters 3 or other mail matter to be cance ed anda receiving end or stacking portion 4upon which said letters arev adaptyed t0 be stacked after the same have been 'canceled or post marked. While on the feed part of the table the letters stand on edge jand one side of the stack enga es with a fixed wall or abutment 5 wiiile tie opposite side of the stack is engaged by a spring pressed follower 0. On that side of the stack of letters adacent to the fixed wall the letters are fed o one at a time from the stack by means of a feeding device which may be of an suitable construction, that shown inthe rawin being referred and consistin of two fee rollers 8 arran ed vone in a vance of the other and ada te to their peripheries with the sides of the etters so as to feed them forwardly 'from' the stack on the feed end of the table.

vThese feed rollers are mounted upon the yupper ends of two shafts 0, 10 which are journaled in suitable bearings andare caused f to'turn in unison by means of an intermediatefidleV ear wheel 11 meshing with two like gearw eels 12, 18 on the shafts of these feed lrollersfiis "shw in'FigL 3.]T On'l` that" side of the letterI patho ppowsit-it-hueforern-os`t.`

, l Ef'a'jse tiratoriwhichl is adapted toprov`ent'more"t 'ar'i'ionej letter fed forwardly.fromI feed roller 7 'is arrange at a time from bein l the supply stack. A thou h various'kiiids of se arators ma be emp o ed that sho, D.. p ble forwth'e piiYrf in Figs-1 and Ais sita pose and consists of av rubber-faced roller or wheel 14 arran ed transversely in line with the foremost eed rollerf'( and mount.-y

cd ontlie u per' end of;a shaft1,.which.g

turns in a. irection for .causing thatgsidel of tha .periphery of the-setparatingaroller which. faces the periphery o 'the front feed.

roller 7 totiirn-in a directionopposite. t0.. the forward movement of the letter in the` letter path, whereby any-letters in excess of,

feeding-cti` mechanism `and the separating.

device the same is presented .to the printing mechanism `.which embodies rn inventionand which Ais constructed as ollows: -17 v represents an impression .rolleri whichgis arranged on one side.o f the letter.- patlifand which is yieldingly heldin its operative position by mounting the same on tliehorizontally swinging rock arm 18..pivoted -to theframe, this rock arm beiniJ yieldingly moved toward the letter ath ly means 'of a spring 19 interposed etween AthisarmI and an abutment on y the frame, 'the movement of the arm in'this direction being limited by means of a stop 20l on thel frame. 21 re resents arotatable print-` ing wheel wliici is arranged on the oppo site side of the lette;` pati transverselyin line with the impression roller. and which is provided on its periphery with suitable dies` types or printing surfaces 22, 23 for roducin v or stamping a date, canceling ines or ot icr marks on vthe letters or other .mail matter. This printing wheel is journaled upon the u per part of a fixed stationary arbor 24 w ich is secured at-'ts lowerent to the frame of the machine. -BelowI the printing wheel a driving disk 2-.is mounted to` turn loosel on the arbor andengage its upper side frictionally .with the lowergend oi the printing wheel and also engagesjts;

periphery with the lower part of the eriphery of the impression rol wheel the ower edge. ofthe same vis gripp between thelewer part. .of theiimpressi er. As a ettervispassing forwardly betwen .the upper. art. of the im ression roller. and..the,prin ingA messes-z.

'iillrf` andV 'the driving Adish causing both fthe. roller and wheel` to be turned hy the .mvem'ent isfthelstfer'.

" At'itsupp'er' end the arbor is constructed .-tq provide acurvctl face 2G which is conccw *tricyviththe'A axis of the printing wheel, a

radiator/abrupt stop face 27 arranged at the"'rear"eiid of the concentric face, and :i cam-face 28extendingfrom the front rnd of the concentric face to the inner end of the stop-face, asbest shown in Fig. Ou

.-the'upperside of the printing wheel and on Aone si ing arm is engaged' in a shoulder or stop faceof-gthearb'or by means of a spring 32 surroundingl the ivot of the latch and connected at one en with this ivot while its opposite end engages with tie latch.

33 represents a horizontally rotatable shifting arm which is mounted upon the upperend of a continuously rotating shaft 84..-farranged ad'acent to the outer side ot' .the printing w eel and preferably transverse y in line therewith and journaled in a `bearing-on the adjacent part of the inachne.. .This'shnft may constitute the main or driving shaft of the machine and power 'may be transmitted to the same in any suitable manner. The lower parts of this shaft. and the shaft of the foremost letter feeding wheel -7 are provided with intcrnirshiiig gearavheels 85, 80, as shown in Fig. :1, whereb motion is transmitted from the main s 'aft to the letter feeding and separating mechanism heretofore described.

At itsfree end the shifting arm has pivoted thereto by means of a vertical pivot 37 a horizontally swinging and latera ly projectingcoupling finger 02 which is provided at its outer end with a depen( ing coupling jaw, pin or shoulder 38 and at its innerend with an inwardly projecting tail 89; .which is yieldin lv held in engagement` with a stop o r shou der 40 on the shifting arm by meansof a spring 41 connecting this tail with the Shifting arm. This coupling finger yeldiiigly held by its spring in itsl outer, position in which it sweeps across the. letter path when noletteiis in the saine, so

thatthe aw ofthe couplingtinier does not l'iO meats? however, a letter isiff'the letter jway ,zalnd'finfV position to bepost marked thecou lin 'fin-" ger uporren aging thesideof gie .letter will be pushe 'inwardly 'or toward the'pivot of the rotatable shiftingearm whereby the' jaw of this tin r will causedftoenga e with'the coupling aw of the latch,'there 1y,"r not only turnin t e latter Aontherintiiig wheel so' as to' isengage the same romthe stop shoulder of the stationary'v arborf'and; unlocking the printing wheel; but alsolpull-l ing on said latch-so as to positivelystart the' rinting wheell in its-rotary movement;4 If tie letter were depended'upon to fric-4 tionally start the' printing -wheel the action, would be much slower and the type 'would be liable to drag and smear the letter, thereby not only rediicin the capacity4 of the iiiachine but also pro iicingimperfectwork. After the printing wheel has'been started in its rotary movement this is continued by the frictional contact of the wheel and im ression roller against op osite sides of the etter and the friction o the driving'disk against the lower end of the println wheel. After the cou ling finger clearst e coupling jaw of t e latch the latter is free to swing into the osition in which its sto or locking jaw wi l engage the stop shou der of the stationary ar or. and thereby arrest the printing wheel after it has .made one complete revolution. The printing wheel remains in this position unti another letter is fed forward to the printing ioslition.y

The latch is prevented from eing'tumed too far when engaged by the cou ling hook of the shifting arm by means o a st op42 arranged on the upper side of the printing wheel in position to be engaged by the coupling arm of the latch. As 'the letters issue from between .the impression roller and printing wheel the same are received between two delivery rollers 43, 44 which dis charge the same upon the receiving end of the table. The delivery rollers are mounted on the upper ends of two shafts 45, 46 which are journaled in suitable bearings. The roller 44 is turned by-frictional contact with the letters and the roller 48 turned by afgear pinion 48 mounted on the lower part o the shaft and a gear pinion 47 mounted on a pivot 40 and meshing with the gear wheel 35, and the pinion 48, as shown in Fig. 8. Upon reaching the receivin end of the table each letter is pushed latere y by a rotatable stacking wheel 40 and stacked with the previously marked letters reparatory to being removed from the mac ine.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mail marking machine comprising a rotatable printing wheel, a stationary sto a rranged adjacent to said wheel,l a late mounted oii said wheel and adapted to engage said stop for holding said lwheel against turning, and ya movable shifting l mountedlon-said wheeland adapted to en- "gag'e saidrffstop for lholding said wheel againstturning, a rotatable shifting arm and'a coupling member movahly'mounted oi'i-'s'aidI arm` and adapted yto engagea letter to'bc mf rked and connect 'said arm with said "8."`Afi"nail marking machine' comprising a rotatable printing wheel, a stationary sto) arranged jadjacent to said wheel, a latci mounted'on said wheel and adapted to engage said stop for holdin said wheel against turninga rotatable s iifting arm, a couplin mem er pivoted on said arm and adapte to engage a letter to be marked to connect saidarm with said latch, a spring for yielding'ly moving said cou ling member in the'r'direction in which t e saine sweeps across the letter path, and a sto which liniits the movement of said coup ing member under the action of said s ring.

4. A mail marking mac iine comprising a rotatable Cprinting whee1a fixed arbor on which sai wheel is journaled and which is provided with a stop shoulder, a. latch pivoted on said wheel on one side of its axis and provided with a jaw adapted to enga e with said stop'shoulder, and a rotatable s iifting arm having means for engagin a letter to he marked' and connecting sai arm with said latch.

5. A mail marking machine comprising a rotatable printing wheel, a fixed arbor on which sai wheel is journaled and which is provided with a stop shoulder a latch piv cted 'on said wheel on one si e of its axis and provided with a front coupling arm and a rear locking arm adapted to engage with said stop s oulder, and a rotatable shifting arm provided with means for engaging with a letter to be marked aiid connectin said shifting arm with said coupling arm o the latch.

6. A mail marking machine comprising a rotatable rinting wheel, a fixed arbor on which said) wheel is journaled and which is provided with a stop shoulder a latch pivoted on said wheel on one side of its axis and provided with a front coupling arm and a rear lockin arm adapted to engage with said stop shou der, a sprin for turning said latch and holding the looting liaw thereof yieldingly in engagement wit i the stop shoulder of said arbor and a rotatable shiftin arm'provided with means for engaging vv h a letter to be marked and coniieetin r said shifting arm with said coupling arm olii the latch.

"L A mail marking machine comprising a rotatable printing wheeh. a ,stationaryfarborf upon which sai wheel, isjournaled and w uch is provided with u. stop ;shoulder,,nlatch pivotcd on-said-wheel on onegside of its axis and provided with* a front coupling arm having an upwardlyl projecting. cou-A wling jaw and a rear locking arm,havin (n. ookmlg .jaw adapted tmengageft-he. s op. ahaah er of said arbor, a s :ring for turning. said latch and holding its Jaw yieldingly in table shifting arm pivoted on vone s ide.';ofv unid printin wheel, u couplin oted on sai shifting arm-an enga with a letter to be marked and provu e with a depending coupling jaw adapted to engage with the coup ing jaw of said latch an( with a tail, and n s ring connect ing said coupling arm and il'vnnd operating to hold the coupling finger yicldingly email-f =infn osition in .which-,the same sweeps across the4 etter ath.

which-slai A,whee turns and which is prolvivded; with'n.v concentric face, a radial atopl shoulder atthe rear end of the concentric fnc und-n cam face between the front end of sald'-coneentric face and said stop shoulder, e Cu-latchpivoted on the wheel and ada ted to engagement with said atopshoulder, n rotav tengaisA saidstop shoulder. n nd a siifting arm :wing-means for engaging a letter to be marked and coupling sax arm with said ntch ber, 1011.

FRED C. IELFIELD. Witnesses:

Gmo. H. Snornnn, Tano. S'rnwan'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for In canta out, by addressing the Commlnlonor of Patents. Washington, D. 0."

wi'aie myhaaa this ma day of new 

